Buffer-spring for vestibule-diaphragm face-plates



c. g. EKLIND. BUFFER SPRING FOR VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM FACE PLATES. APPLlCATiON FILED OCT. 10, I919.

1,354,177, 7 PatentedSept, 28,1920.

l I l x H Iii l In? I E 0 A I In! A wil cm a. EKLIND, or onrcneo,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WALTER P. MURPHY, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUFFER SPRING- FOR VESTIBULE-DIAPHRAGM FACE-PLATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2s, 1 920.

Application filed October 10, 1919. Serial No. 329,650.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL E. EKLIND, a

citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buffer-Springs for vestibule-Diaphragm Face-Plates, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to railway passenger car vestibules, and the principal ob ect of the invention is to provide a novel and improved spring device for pressing the upper end of the diaphragm face plate of a car vestibule against the face plate of the vestibule of the adjoining car, and for returning the plate to its normal centered position after it has been displaced laterally or angularly by chafin or through the movement of the cars 0 the train in rounding curves.

The invention consists in the arrangement and constructions to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above stated object and such other incidental objects as will appear from the following description of certain preferred embodunents of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the railway car vestibule, the face plate of which is provided with a spring mounted in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the car showing the same construction; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawing: 10 designates the vestibule structure, 11 the diaphragm face plate, and 12 the diaphragm which is shown as an ordinary fabric bellows diaphragm, although the invention might be employed in connection with sheet steel collapsible structure sometimes used in place of the bellows diaphragms. 13 designates a semi-elliptical spring, preferably a compound spring, which is interposed between the vestibule structure 10 of the car and the diaphragm face plate 11. The spring is attached at the center, preferably rigidly, to

one of these elements while its extremities are engaged with the other element by connections which permit the movements of the extremities of the spring and face plate as hereinafter described. Preferably the spring is rigidly attached to the face plate by some suitable means, for example, by means of a bracket 14 of the character shown in the patent to Sisson N 0. 1,097,195, May 19, 1914, although any other suitable device might beemployed for fastening the spring to the plate. The master leaf 15 of the spring are bent around to form spring eyes 16 which engage pivot pins 17 arran ed in the forked ends 18 of a pair of li s 19. The links 19 are pivoted to brackets 20 fastened to the vestibule structure of the car by rivets 21 or other suitable fastening means. Each bracket is formed preferably with a pair of spaced horizontal webs 22, through the outer ends of which extends a pivot pin 23 passing through a bore 24 in the outer end of link 19.

The spring mounted as above described, performs much the same function as the spring disclosed in the patent to F. G. Fowler, N 0. 1,019,777, May 12, 1912, but accomplishes the desired purpose in a different way and with less friction and wear of the parts. The extremities of the spring are engaged rotatably with the inner ends of a pair of freely movable links 19, the outer ends of which are pivoted to the vestibule. When the car is coupled up with another car the vestibule diaphragms are compressed to a certain extent so that pressure exists between the two diaphragm face plates which is intensified by the compression of spring 13. Ordinarily the face plate will be forced back, compressing diaphragm and spring, about an inch and a half. The floating character of the attachment of the spring to the vestibule structure makes the spring, and the face plate to which the spring is fastened, self-centering. That is, if the face plate is displaced laterally, as will occur when the train rounds a curve, as soon as the cars have come back into line the spring, because of the peculiar manner in which it is mounted, will tend to draw the face plate back to its normal center position. Similarly the spring will tend to straighten the plate, in case of angular displacement, after the forces tending to produce such displacement have ceased .to operate. In the device shown in the Fowler patent these functions are performed through strain in the spring itself. This is not the case, any appreciable extent, unlem the movements of the diaphragm face plate be pression of the spring which, because of its link connections with the end of the car, tends always to resist any displacing movement lateral or an ar and to kee the face plate and spring in their oentere position. ncidentally, and particularly with'extreme movements of the face plate, there may be some distortion of the spring which of itself, if it occurs, will also help to bring the face plate back to its normal position after displacement therefrom.

It will be seen that the arrangement is such as to minimize stress on the spring and also to minimize friction so that the device has great durability. E

I have described my invention in a certain preferred embodiment, but do not wish to exclude the possibility of modifications in matters of constructional details. The invention is not to be considered as limited to the particular arrangements, devices and constructions shown except so far as the claims are expressly so limited.

I claim:

1. The combination with the end wall and diaphragm face plate of a vestibule railway car, of a semi-elliptical spring, the .middleof which is engaged with one of the aforesaid elements of the car, and links each pivoted at an end remote from the aforesaid car element to one of the extremities of said spring at its other end pivotally connected with the other of said' car elements.

2. The combination with the end wall and diaphragm face plate of a vestibule railway car, of a semi-elliptical spring the middle of which is engaged with one of the aforesaid elements of the car, and links with which the extremities of said spring are engaged pivotally mounted on the other of said elements so that both links may have unobstructed swinging movements of the.

same amplitude and at the same time, in one direction or the other, from their normal position in accordance withthe direction of lateral movements of the face, plates.

3. The combination with the end wallv and diaphragm face plate of a vestibule railway car, of a semi-elliptical spring the middle of'which is engaged with one of the aforesaid elements of the car, a pair of brackets on the other of said elements, links having their outer ends pivoted to said brackets, and means for engaging the extremities of said springs with the inner ends of said links.

4. The combination with the end wall pins.

and diaphragm face plate of a vestibule railway car, of a semi-elliptical spring the middle of which is engaged with one of thetween said webs, links within said brackets 1 pivoted to said pins, and pivot pins associated with said links the extremities of said springs being formed with eyes engaging said last named pivot pins.

5. The combination with the end wall and diaphragm face plate of a vestibule railway car, of a semi-elliptical spring the middle of which is engaged with one of the aforesaid elements of the car, a pair of brackets on the other of said elements each comprising a pair of substantially horizontal spaced webs, and a pin extending between said webs, links pivoted at their outer ends to said pins, and pivot pins associated with the inner ends of said links, the extremities of said links being formed with eyes engaging said last named pivot pins.

6. The combination with the end wall and diaphragm face plate of a vestibule railway car, of a semi-elliptical spring the middle of which is rigidly fixed to the face plate, and links with which the extremities of the spring are engaged, which are pivotally mounted on the end wall of. the vestibule so as to permit both ends of the spring to move laterally to the same extent with a lateral movement of the face plate.

7.. The combination with the end wall and diaphragm face plate of a vestibule railway car, of a semi-elliptical spring, the

middle of which is rigidly fixed to the face railway car, of a semi-elliptical spring, the

middle of which is rigidly attached to the face plate, a pair of brackets on said end wall, each comprising a pair ofsubstantially horizontal webs, and pivot pins in the outer ends of said webs, a pair of links, the outer ends of which are pivoted'to said pins and the inner ends of which are forked, and pivot pins in the inner ends of said links, the extremities of said spring being formed with eyes engaging said last named pivot 9. The combination with the end wall and diaphragm face plate of a estibule railway car, of a semi-elliptical spring rigidly connected at the center to said diaphragmplate and links connecting the extremities of the spring tosaie. end wall so as to pennitboth ends of the spring to move laterally to the same extent with a lateral extremities by free swinging movements displacement of the face plate. with the other of said elements to permit 10. The combination with the end Wall both ends of the spring to move laterally to 10 and diaphragm face plate of a vestibule the same extent with the lateral displace- 5 railway car, of-a semi-elliptical spring enment of the face plate whereby the, spring gaged at the center with one of said eleand face plate are self centerin ments of the car, and links connecting its CARL E. LIND. 

